24 September,2025 06:15 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari at Bio energy and tech expo. Pic/X
Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, while highlighting India's potential to produce ethanol, asserted that the country should now gear up to export ethanol, news agency ANI reported. After meeting the target of 20 per cent ethanol blending in petrol, the time has arrived when India should gear up for exporting ethanol given its surplus production in the country, Gadkari said on Wednesday.
"It is the time for India's futuristic development. We need to reduce our imports and increase our exports. As far as the surplus of ethanol, it is now the requirement of the country that we need to export ethanol," the minister said, while addressing the 2nd International Conference and Exhibition on Bioenergy and Technologies held in New Delhi, which highlighted India's ethanol production.
India's ethanol production capacity reached an annual production of approximately 1,822 crore litres by June 30, ANI reported. With the government's Ethanol Blended with Petrol (EBP) programme actively promoting increased production to meet its 20 per cent blending target for the Ethanol Supply Year (ESY) 2025-26.
The production majorly relies on both molasses (sugarcane-based) and grain (maize, rice) feedstocks.
In the ongoing ESY 2024-25, an average of 19.05 per cent ethanol blending was achieved as on July 31, ANI reported.
Gadkari further highlighted Brazil's pioneering role in ethanol and stressed that India, too, is rapidly scaling up. He cited the success of corn-based ethanol, which raised farmer incomes significantly.
"Farmers now earn Rs 45,000 crore more annually because of ethanol policies. Diversifying agriculture towards energy is the need of the hour," the minister said.
While underlining India's advances in ethanol blending, he said petrol now carries up to 20 per cent ethanol. The Union Minister also pointed to the initiatives to convert rice straw into ethanol and bio-compressed natural gas (CNG), which would help in addressing stubble burning and Delhi's severe pollution.
Throwing light on new technological innovation, Gadkari further spoke about the successful trials of bio-bitumen roads, ethanol-powered generators, and flex-fuel vehicles.
He said, "Automakers, including Toyota, Tata, Mahindra, Suzuki, and Hyundai, are adopting flex-fuel technology, while tractor makers and construction equipment manufacturers are also shifting to biofuels and hydrogen."
The minister also reiterated the government's commitment to alternative fuels, aiming to cut pollution, reduce import dependency, and boost farmers' incomes.
Highlighting the concerns over pollution, Gadkari said that "nearly 40 per cent of air pollution in India is caused by transport fuels". 'At the same time, we import fossil fuels worth Rs 22 lakh crore annually. It is time for the world and India to embrace alternatives like ethanol, bio-CNG, and sustainable aviation fuel," the minister stated.
(With ANI inputs)
